Desperate Times - RivaMika Week, Day 7

The scenario in this fic is one of my favourite tropes. Post-canon and optimistic in regards to the survival rate of the characters.

Prompt: Vegetal

"I need a favour."

One thing Levi had always appreciated about Mikasa as a subordinate was that she never wasted time on small talk. When she wanted to say something, she did so.

"What kind of a favour?"

"There is a formal dinner next week that I have to attend and I need you to come with me and pretend we're in a relationship."

Levi didn't choke on his tea but it was a close call. Mikasa took a calm sip of her own drink and waited for his reply. It was clear it wasn't a joke. She was serious about this.

"Why would that be necessary?" he asked finally. What he really wanted to know was why him but he suspected she would tell him without prompting.

"The dinner is for our sponsors, current and potential both," she explained. "One of the current sponsors is... taken with me," she continued, her eyes flashing angrily. "He doesn't accept that I'm not interested and I cannot afford to punch him out because he contributes a lot to us."

Levi nodded, familiar with the background politics of sponsoring expeditions and how it was dangerous to anger those willing to provide the necessary money. It was even worse nowadays because in the old days, the crown had shouldered a portion of the cost. With the intense rebuilding going on after all the fighting, the expeditions had to be financed entirely from the private sources.

"That's a shitty situation," he said and Mikasa sighed.

"I know. I'm not even sure coming with someone else would put him off but I have to try the non-violent solution first. We discovered an old road last time, paved with some strange material and we want to see where it leads. That's at least two months out there and we need all the money we can get."

It hadn't been surprising that after the dust had settled - literally - Eren, Armin and Mikasa had taken off the first chance they had gotten. There had been other people interested in the outside world and the Survey Corps had retained its role as the exploratory branch of the military. The financing of expeditions and the lack of Titans to fight were the only differences to before.

Four years later, a lot had been rediscovered from the time before the Walls had gone up but there was more out there. It was a big world, bigger than they could have ever imagined.

"This is really important to you," Levi said. Mikasa nodded and seemed to deliberate about something.

"It's going to be my last expedition. Even Eren and Armin don't know yet," she said, looking down at her hands. "I liked seeing the world, the deserts, the ocean but I don't want to do that for the rest of my life. I want everything to go well because after that, I'm leaving the Corps."

"Do you have any plans for after?"

She nodded, smiling.

"I'm going to rebuild my old house and live there."

It sounded nice. Quiet and calm, almost like his own life nowadays.

"But first you need to finish things."

"Yes, I do. So are you going to help me?"

"Why would you pick me?"

She obviously expected the question because she listed the points without hesitation.

"I need someone who has known me for a while but hasn't been seen with me often and who isn't taken."

"I'm not really the type to be affectionate in public."

"Neither am I."

They regarded each other for a moment and then Mikasa offered her hand for shaking. The deal was struck.

It didn't differ from all those dinners years earlier when Levi's position as the strongest soldier in Survey Corps had been enough of a draw to the bored and the wealthy and Erwin had made him attend a lot of them.

The room was nice, with big windows and high ceiling, with tables set up along the walls and the centre left free for eventual dancing. There had already been a lot of people milling around when Levi and Mikasa arrived. Eren and Armin stood close to the entrance and they made straight for Mikasa, only to come to a sudden stop when they noticed Levi.

"They don't know, do they?" he whispered to her and she shook her head.

"I didn't want to tell them about Schneider."

Levi could well imagine the young men's reaction to that news. Armin would probably hold himself back for the same reasons as Mikasa but Eren wouldn't.

"Are you okay with lying to them?"

"It's just for a short time."

"Captain, what are you doing here?" Eren blurted out as soon as they got close enough to talk.

"For the last time, Eren, I've been retired for years, so it's just Levi now," Levi said, nodding to Armin. "And I'm escorting Mikasa, if you haven't noticed."

"But why?"

Mikasa cut in at that point, a slight blush spreading across her face. A shame at lying to her best friends no doubt, but easy to misconstrue as something else.

"I've been keeping something from you. Levi and I, we're together."

It wasn't the best moment for any of them. Eren just stared. Armin looked from Mikasa to Levi to where Mikasa's arm was hooked through Levi's and back to their faces. Mikasa fidgeted slightly, her fingers digging into Levi's arm, waiting for the reaction.

"Well, congratulations then," Armin said at last. "I'm happy for both of you."

That seemed to shake Eren from his stupor and he narrowed his eyes at the two of them.

"I knew something was going on, with how often you visited him but no one believed me."

"It wasn't that often," Mikasa protested half-heartedly but Levi was startled to realize that Eren was actually right. All the members of his former squad had visited him a few times but Mikasa's visits had been the most frequent. She had kept bringing him plants to try out for teas, ranging from relatively normal to unusual to downright strange. And she would stay until he tried them out and helped him taste the sometimes delicious and sometimes disgusting results.

"It's not important how often Mikasa stopped by," Levi said. "It was a private matter between the two of us."

Eren then did the same thing as Armin - looked from Mikasa to Levi to their linked arms to their faces again - and grinned.

"Congratulations. I guess it's a good thing neither of you will have to change the last name."

That was quite an assumption to make. Mikasa's blush was of embarrassment this time and even Levi felt his cheeks warming up. It was one thing to pretend to be in a relationship. It was quite another when the people who were supposed to know you thought it would lead to marriage. Although, on second thought, both he and Mikasa were the types to be serious about their partners. So maybe it wasn't such an unreasonable assumption at all.

"It's not like that," Mikasa tried to explain but she couldn't, not without giving away the whole thing. The rescue came from the unlikely corner.

"If that isn't the lovely Squad Leader Ackerman."

The man who spoke was familiar to Levi from years back. He had never bothered learning his name but from the way Mikasa tensed beside him, he guessed this was Derek Schneider. Years ago, it had been his father who had been giving money to Survey Corps. The old man had been okay, as far as Levi had been concerned, mostly because he had only talked to Erwin, not bothering Levi with stupid comments.

"Mr. Schneider, good evening."

Mikasa had always held up admirably under pressure. She let the man kiss her hand but snatched it back as soon as she could. Schneider smiled tightly at Eren and Armin and then he looked at Levi, his eyes widening in recognition. Good.

"Long time no see. How's your father these days?" Levi asked.

"His health is not the best so I took over some of the more taxing aspects of his work."

"Taxing, huh?" Levi asked as he looked around them. "I'm sure events like this can get... taxing."

In his peripheral vision he saw Mikasa bite her lip, the way she sometimes did when she didn't want to show her amusement.

"Captain Levi, err, what are you doing here?"

Levi didn't bother correcting him on his title.

"I'm escorting Mikasa, obviously."

His tone made it clear just what he thought of a question like that. Schneider flushed.

"Then I would like to ask your permission to dance with the Squad Leader later."

Levi saw Eren start forward but Armin held him back. It was an incensing comment and it was no wonder Mikasa couldn't stand the guy.

"No."

"You're not permitting it?"

"No, you shouldn't be asking me, shit-for-brains," Levi snapped. "What Mikasa does or doesn't do is up to her. I'm not her keeper."

"Just her fiancé," Armin put in as he insinuated himself between the three of them. "We were just about to celebrate, so if you excuse us..."

They left Schneider behind and walked away, Armin and Eren arguing about Armin keeping Eren from beating up the guy. Mikasa leaned closer to Levi.

"Thanks for that."

"That's why I'm here."

"I know. I just wish I could do more to him."

"Maybe you could," Levi said, trying to recall something he had heard Schneider's father say once.

"We need his money."

"It's not his money," he told her with a smirk. "I remember his father saying once that his son would only get the control over the money after his death, not earlier. If you were getting funds from their company, it's because of the father, not the son."

Mikasa looked over her shoulder with a calculating look on her face.

"Left one," Levi said.

"What?"

"Use your left fist when punching him. He might not survive a punch from your right fist."

"A good point," she remarked. She let go of his arm and smoothed down her dress. "Excuse me. There's something I need to do that's long overdue."

Levi wouldn't admit it to anyone but Mikasa stalking up to Schneider, grabbing his shoulder to twist him around and then sending him to the ground with a beautifully executed left hook was an exhilarating sight. She was glorious and unlike in other battles he had seen her fight, he could enjoy this one without a guilt.

And when she turned around and sent him a smile, he couldn't help but smile back.

"I need a favour."

Mikasa looked at him with a suspicious look.

"What kind of a favour?" she echoed his words from a little over a week earlier.

"I want to find out something and you're best suited for helping."

"Oh?" she asked, blowing on her tea, a new flavour that, if Levi was honest, tasted exactly like dried grass.

"I enjoyed being your date and that was just pretending. I wonder, what would a real thing be like?"

She looked down, a shy smile on her face.

"I guess we can find out."

A/N: It seems I managed to write a canon-compliant fake dating!AU. Sometimes I scare amaze myself.

Also, it's a wrap. Unconditional will get an update soon and I have some other SnK stories planned. As always, feel free to hit me up on Tumblr - mirime-kisarrastine.